Legal Definitions - actual innocence

Definition: Actual innocence is a defense used in criminal cases where the defendant argues that they did not commit the crime they are accused of.

Unlike other defenses that admit to committing the crime but argue for special circumstances, actual innocence claims that the defendant did not commit the crime at all. This defense can be used in court or on appeal, but the burden of proof lies with the defendant to show that they are innocent beyond a reasonable doubt.

For example, if someone is accused of stealing a car, but they can prove that they were out of town at the time of the theft, they could use an actual innocence defense to argue that they did not commit the crime.

Another example could be a case where new evidence is discovered that proves the defendant's innocence. In this scenario, the defendant could use an actual innocence defense on appeal to challenge their imprisonment.